easy leather bead bracelet

Before Christmas, I had the chance to shop House of Gems, an on-line wholesale bead and jewelry making supply shop.  I was like a kid in a candy shop!  Expect to see more projects soon, but for now, these leather bead bracelets are the first thing I tackled.

I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but when I do, I like it to be small and subtle. Sometimes small and subtle is hard to find in the stores, so after hunting, I decided to make my own.

easy leather bead bracelet

You will need:
8-12 beads for each bracelet
20 gauge wire
2 jump rings
clasp
1.5 mm leather
2 crimping beads with ring
needle nose pliers
round nose pliers
end cutters

Start by cutting about six inches of your wire.

Hold your round nose pliers about an inch from the end and bend your pliers in a circle.

You will make a loop and will have a tail that will then be wrapped around the wire 2-3 times.

Cut as close as you can with your edge cutters and use your needle nose pliers to press the end as close as you can to the wire so that it isn't sharp.

String your beads on in whatever pattern you want.  Once you have enough beads to stretch about two inches, take your round nose pliers about an inch from the end of the beads and make your loop, this time in reverse of the last one.

The wrapped wire should be closest to your beads.

Measure out about five inches of your leather. You will need to cut two pieces of leather for each bracelet.

Fold the leather in half and push the folded end through one of the looped ends.

Take the ends of the leather and thread it through your folded leather loop. Pull tightly.

Do this to both ends.

Take out your crimping bead and your needle nose pliers.  Crimp the end of the leather {with both pieces being captured} together.  Do this to both sides.

On one side, open your jump ring and slide your lobster clasp and the crimped end into the jump ring.  Use your needle nose pliers to close the jump ring. On the other end, open a jump ring and secure it to the crimped end and close the ring again.

Your bracelet is completed!

I kind of got carried away!

These two little beaded ones are probably my favorite!

I'm anxious to get started on some matching earrings!

All of the supplies were provided by House of Gems. All opinions are 100% my own.